A rendering of the mural by artist JD Bills planned to be painted on the side of Greenwood Happy Haunts, a project of Old Town Greenwood Inc., the group formerly known as Restore Old Town Greenwood. The project is a chance to further beautify the Old Town area and attract visitors, shoppers and diners to the city. SUBMITTED PHOTO
At a glance
Old Town Greenwood mural project
What: An effort to create a stunning visual attraction in the Old Town area
Where: Happy Haunts, 248 Market Plaza, Greenwood
Who: Organized by Old Town Greenwood Inc.
How to help: Donations and sponsorships are being accepted to help fund the mural project. People can learn more about it and find a link to make contributions at restoreoldtowngreenwood.org/mural-project or givebutter.com/otgmuralproject.
Volunteer: Old Town Greenwood Inc. is looking for people who want to be part of their efforts
The brooding, fantastical images could crackle with electricity.
Quite literally.
A mural planned to cover the south wall at Greenwood’s Happy Haunts is filled with striking imagery, from a stylized coyote to dark twisted branches overrun with pitch-black ravens to a castle rising in the distance. A foxes’ tail emerges from the wall to form a three-dimensional bench. Glowing orbs arranged in a haunted arch will hopefully light up at night.
Those responsible for the mural project see a new kind of attraction for Old Town Greenwood — and a fresh direction for the historic downtown area.
“It is totally for community, that’s what it’s for. It’s definitely going to be one of a kind — we know of nothing like this,” said Angi Oakes, vice president of Old Town Greenwood Inc.
The dynamic mural by artist JD Bills represents a shift for a longtime group focused on maintaining and improving the heart of Greenwood. What was formerly known as Restore Old Town Greenwood is now simply Old Town Greenwood Inc., marking the next phase of its mission while recognizing the success they’ve had in the city’s downtown area.
With its biggest year yet on tap, supporters are energized by the momentum gained in recent years. And they’re looking for more people to join their cause.
“We’re doing this rebrand, and we have some amazing ideas for events coming up. We just need people — people to be engaged,” Oakes said. “We’re actively looking for volunteers, people who love Greenwood and have a little bit of time or knowledge or talent or experience, and want to help us do great things.”
Restore Old Town Greenwood was created in 2010. At the time, city officials were planning to tear down an entire block of historic buildings on the southeast corner of Main and Madison streets in order to widen the street.
Outraged citizens sprang into action to try to save the historic structures. What started as a Facebook page grew into a state non-profit, then an official Indiana Main Street community and a federal 501(c)3 non-profit in the fall of 2015.
The organization has been instrumental in helping revitalize the Old Town area, including getting Greenwood’s commercial district and its residential district on the National Register of Historic Places.
They’ve seen beautification projects emphasize the area’s unique architecture, which has seen an influx of unique businesses make Old Town their home.
Considering the progress that had been made, the organization’s leaders felt it was time for a change.
“The original creation of it was to advocate for the restoration of the area of Main and Madison (streets), that area. But most of those projects have been completed at this time,” Oakes said. “So we get a lot of confusion from people asking, ‘What are you restoring?’ So we felt we had come to an era of what are we, who are we and what do we do. That’s what you’re seeing happening now.”
With a focus transitioning from restoration to enhancing the vibrancy of Old Town, the group shifted to its new name.
“We’re not into the restoration game, we’re about advocating for Old Town Greenwood and bringing people into those shops, showing off what has been built there between the city, between the restoration efforts, between the owners of those buildings — what everybody has come together and done,” Oakes said. “And bring people back into that space.”
The planned mural project fit into those plans. Organizers were searching for ways to make the Old Town area more attractive and wanted to start with a large-scale public art installation.
“If you build beautiful places, people come. That’s where we wanted to start,” Oakes said.
Old Town Greenwood leaders asked around to owners of different buildings in the area, asking who might be interested in taking part. Happy Haunts was fully on board.
“We’ve been talking about how we have this huge blank canvas on the side of the building, and we were wanting to do something about it. But as a business owner, there are very few things you can do to your building without having to get permits and things like that,” said Cory Steenberger, who owns Happy Haunts with Scott Steenberger.
Old Town Greenwood partnered with Bills, an Indianapolis-based contemporary artist, to create a design that fits Happy Haunts’ aesthetic. The business, located at 248 Market Plaza, specializes in hand-made Halloween, horror and fall decor, as well as vintage and unique Halloween and horror items.
Bills’ design, titled “Guardians of the Gate,” is a perfect fit.
“It has this mystic, kind of a dark, imaginary world. It really brings you in,” Steenberger said. “It’s got interactive elements like 3-D art where people can get pictures taken, there is some lighting on it, so it’s always illuminated. It’s just really exciting.”
Organizers announced the mural project in late 2025, with a focus on raising money for its creation. The goal was $35,000, which they hoped to raise through a variety of fundraisers. Bills created a painting of iconic Greenwood landmarks, such as Freedom Springs, the Polk Building and The Suds, which Old Town Greenwood Inc. sold as prints as Christmas ornaments.
The mural project received a major boost in mid-February, when Festival Country Indiana awarded a $20,000 in support of it. Duke Energy has also contributed to the effort.
With momentum for the project on their side, Old Town Greenwood Inc. is in the middle of a full-on push for sponsorship to help with the costs of the mural — both from individuals and businesses.
”It’s been wonderful to see it all come to life, from the idea of putting a mural downtown to this extravagant, one-of-a-kind attraction,” Oakes said.
Copyright (©) 2026 Daily Journal (Franklin) eEdition